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Event: Hidden in Shadows Part 1
It's time for a new story with a new look at the little corner of the Bloodlines Anthology. New friends, some familiar faces, with old and new enemies lurking. This little episode takes place around 5 BBY, just before the start of Star Wars: Rebels and other new canon material coming to light. Hidden in Shadows Part 1 Arryn Korr jerked hard on the control yoke, sending the ship into a port-side corkscrew to avoid the incoming fire from the pair of TIE fighters currently pursuing his ship. He gritted his teeth as he watched bursts of super-heated plasma streak by his ship, narrowly missing their target. Arryn knew that the freighter’s shields would hold up against the TIE’s cannons, but he didn’t want to chance something going wrong. It was often better to be safe than sorry. As Arryn began to spin the freighter in the deft maneuver, he heard a shout come from the bowels of the ship behind him. He smiled to himself at the curses being hurled his way. “Damn you, Korr!” Came a distant female voice, probably from one of the gun wells. “How about a heads up before you pull a stunt like that!” Arryn knew that the inertia compensators hadn’t fully taken care of the g-forces his maneuver had produced. Just like a pilot trained in the seat of a starfighter, Korr preferred to keep the compensators dialed down during combat so he could feel the ship. It helped keep his mind on what he needed to do when he could feel the pitch and yaw of the ship. “You know, using the shipboard comm. works much better than shouting from all the way back there.” Arryn said with a cocky grin, flipping the switch for the ship’s internal communication system. “Stuff it, you frelling gundark!” Came the reply from Skye Morgan over the comm. speaker. Arryn chuckled to himself as he continued his maneuver, rolling the ship into a corkscrew to evade fire from the Imperial ships. As the ship began to loop for the second time, the deck reverberated as a dull thud, thud, thud sounded. The sound and tremors repeated. He knew that both the ventral and dorsal quad cannons were firing at his pursuers. It was the brief shake, not once, but twice, that told Arryn the pursuit was over. Before he could flip the comm. switch, his panel lit up. “Both pursuing craft will not be bothering us any longer.” Came the voice of M’Jota, the Turian enforcer that often worked with Arryn and Skye. “Thanks, M.” Arryn responded. Looking back, over his left shoulder, Arryn asked for a sensor update. “It would appear that the planetary fighters were the only ships currently within range of pursuing us.” T2-396, the Arentech Astromech droid, replied. “Good.” Arryn said, looking ahead. “That means it’s time for us to get out of here.” With a cock-eyed smile, Arryn reached up and pulled the levels, engaging the hyperdrive. ---- Less than a day later, the E-9 explorer, the Celestia, touched down on the planet Vileous. The gangplank slowly lowered as various valves released steam and pressure on the underside of the ship. Arryn was the first to walk down the ramp, followed closely by T2, floating on repulsors behind him. Skye Morgan was next, followed by M’Jota. The contrast between Skye and the Turian couldn’t have been more evident. Skye was short, even by Human standards, but was still a beauty with piercing blue eyes and long, dark, auburn hair. Her clothing was tight and revealed every curve of her body. M’Jota, on the other hand, towered over Skye at nearly 2.2 meters tall. He was bulky and massive compared to Skye. His features were typical for a Turian. Hard and bone-like features made it appear as if M’Jota had a permanent scowl. Arryn Korr looked like any typical Human male in a spaceport. He hadn’t shaved in days and the scruff on his handsome face was evident. He had an average build and looked like he could disappear into a crowd with ease. It was his posture that set him apart the most, though. There was a steely air of deadliness to him. Arryn turned to address the others when he got to the bottom of the ramp. “Skye, you and M go and make sure our legal cargo is ready for pick-up. I’ll go deliver our trinkets and pick up our pay.” As Skye and M nodded and began to depart, T2 spoke up in it’s all too proper voice. “What shall I do, Captain?” “Stay here and make sure the ship is secure and ready to go. I want to make sure the Imps didn’t get a proper ID on us when we left Terrestal.” Arryn responded. “Very well, sir.” T2 answered back, in a Core-like accent, before floating back up the gangplank and securing the ramp. With that, Arryn turned and departed for the small port bar, the Blue Sun. Despite his words, Arryn walked very casually, like he didn’t have a care in the world. ---- The Lady Jasmine had docked and her crew had made their way to what Marcus Morgan referred to as “his favorite berth in a forsaken cesspool.” The heavier, graying Corellian smuggler was referencing the Blue Sun, his choice for pubs on the planet Vileous. His young daughter, CJ Morgan, simply rolled her eyes at her father’s comment and followed along with him to the seedy, smoky bar. Inside, they found a secluded booth, took their seats, and began waiting for the man that they were supposed to meet there. CJ was used to the type of establishment they were in. Her father had been frequenting them for as long as she could remember. She had pulled Marcus out of more than one of these places all too often. It was usually because he was flirting with a married woman, verging on a fight with a jealous husband, or that he had had his fill of Corellian whiskey. This was different though. She was tense about the cargo they were supposed to pick up. While it seemed simple, she couldn’t shake a bad gut feeling about it. Marcus ordered a mug of lum and then cocked his head to address his daughter. He had noticed her anxiety. “Ya need ta relax, lass.” Marcus said to CJ. “I know, I know.” CJ responded, shaking her head. “I’m being stupid.” “Tha first rule is, don’t look suspicious.” Marcus said. “We don’t be needin’ customs lookin’ ta give us a care.” “You’re right.” CJ responded, letting out a long exhale. “You’re totally right. It’s just a feeling about this job that I can’t shake.” “Lassie, someday those instincts are goin’ ta pay off fer ya.” Marcus said as he messed his teenaged daughter’s hair. “Til then, though, let me worry.” CJ pulled away from Marcus in a feigned display of annoyance. She actually didn’t mind her father showing his affection towards her like that. But she wasn’t about to let him know that. “Besides, with this run, we’ll be able ta finally put a down payment on yer future.” Marcus smiled. “A ship of yer very own.” “Yeah, I know-” CJ began, but was interrupted. The scanner at the bar’s entranced sounded as a young Human male and a female Twi’lek walked into the Blue Sun. CJ and Marcus both looked up, taking note of the newcomers. From what information had been relayed to the Morgans, they both knew that the Human was who they were here to meet. Arryn Korr shook his head as he entered the Blue Sun with his follower close on his heels. He didn’t have time to listen to the Twi’lek’s proposal, not now. Plus, he wasn’t interested anyway. He was here for his own business. He’d already been paid half of the fee up front to deliver the slim container case in his inner jacket pocket and he wanted the rest of the credits for completing his end of this job. Korr stopped and turned towards the young Twi’lek. “Look, Syndulla, your proposition is interesting. But I already have an employer and a cause that I work towards.” “You call working for a criminal network a ‘cause’ to work towards?” Hera Syndulla, the young, green-skinned Twi’lek, retorted. “Yeah, I do.” Arryn shot back. “Plus, you couldn’t afford me.” “This isn’t about credits, Korr.” Hera tried to argue. “You know that. This is about freedom in the galaxy again. This is about honor and loyalty.” “Really?” Arryn got cocky. “Here in the Trust, the Imps pretty much leave us alone unless we make a big mess. I’d say I’ve got it made here.” “What about Sabine?” Hera attempted to play her trump card. She didn’t want to use a member of her crew as a bargaining chip, but she felt that she had to sway the man somehow. Hera knew that if Sabine had come along for this and if it went the way it was going, Sabine might hold a large grudge against a man considered a close friend by Sabine’s mother. “Wren?” Arryn squinted in disgust. “You tell that scabby-knee’d kid to get herself back to Mandalore where she belongs. This whole rebellion business is no place for her. Now make tracks, Syndulla. I’ve got business to attend to.” Hera gave Arryn a defeated look, then cast her eyes down and turned to leave the Blue Sun. Arryn watched her leave. Deep down, he hoped that Hera and the crew of the Ghost would give the Empire a good fight. He wanted them to spark the fires of rebellion and hurt the Empire in a bad way. But it wasn’t his fight. He had enough to contend with in the Engstrom Trust. Plus, fighting for freedom didn’t pay for docking fees and fuel costs. After the Twi’lek had left, Arryn turned and scanned the bar. The male and female Humans in the back corner of the Blue Sun stuck out like a sore trigger finger to Arryn. He might have overlooked them if he wasn’t who he was. His experience let him know when he was being looked at. He started towards the table where the pair were sitting . He casually sat down opposite from the female, which he noted was quite the looker. There was an air about her that seemed familiar. Maybe it was her long hair or the shape of her eyes. Something tickled the back of his mind about her. He gave her a quick wink before turning his attention towards the much older male. “So I’m here about a cargo crate to haul a Bantha calf in.” Arryn casually said, giving the coded statement to let his contact know who he was. “Is that a fact?” The older man replied. “A nice piece of burnished Bantha leather, say, in tha form of a credit case, would be nice also. It’d be much easier ta haul.” Arryn noted that the older man with greying hair looked Corellian, but had an accent indicative of one of the dialects of the Engstrom Trust. Still, the man had provided the correct, coded response to Arryn’s initial statement. Arryn nodded in agreement with the man. “I’m Marcus Morgan, ana I believe we have business ta attend ta.” Marcus introduced himself. “Morgan?” Arryn asked, quizzically. He immediately noted the sur name as being the same as Skye’s. “Shhh.” Marcus nearly jumped. “Not so loud that tha neighbors may hear, lad!” “Worried about being recognized?” Arryn asked. “Psssh.” CJ snorted. “More than likely worried about some scorned floozy hearing the name and coming over here and slapping him.” “Well now, it may-” Marcus started. “Can we cut to the chase?” CJ interrupted. Arryn reached inside of his coat carefully and pulled out a long, slender leather case. Setting it on the table, he slid it across to CJ. “I like a woman who doesn’t beat around the bush.” “Careful, lad.” Marcus cut in. “She’s like her mother. She has a bark and a bite.” CJ rolled her eyes and then took hold of the case. She gently cracked it open to peek inside, verifying the contents. Seeing that the case held what they were after, she closed it again and nodded towards her father before making it disappear inside her jacket. “Well then.” Marcus gave Arryn a friendly smile. ‘I was told that Miss Thayne would have tha other half of your payment fer ya.” “What exactly are those crystals for?” Arryn asked, referring to the contents of the case. “Mr. Holden didn’t say.” CJ answered. “All we know is we were supposed to pick them up from you and now we deliver them. The credits will be wired to Nextro’daala as soon as we dust off.” “I suppose that I’ll get a drink while you two go on your way then.” Arryn said, giving CJ a nod and another wink. He casually stood up, shaking both CJ and Marcus’ hands before venturing to the bar. As he ordered a drink, he watched the pair make their way out of the bar. When his drink slid in front of him, he picked it up and took a sip. That little bit of business was paying far more than it should have. Still, Arryn relaxed. The job was done and he was going to have enough credits to live on for a while, along with paying his crew for that little job. He was fairly happy with the end results of the day. Or so he thought. Category:Events